Nathan Ramriarel
Nathan Ramriarel (commonly addressed by his nickname "Nate"), is one of the five Riders of Alalëa - his dragon being Toparien - and the humorist of the group. When his older sister Niaomi is unavailable or unwilling to take command, he usually steps in. While he is adept at magic, his true skill is his fighting prowess. Out of all of the RoA, Nathan is considered the best physical combatant of the group (earning him his title as "the Champion"). His first name is technically Nathaniel, but this is used so rarely that he and most everyone else consider his full name to be Nathan Evandar Niomsson. Angela is a notable exception to this generalization, as she always refers to him as Nathaniel. But save for that, there has only been two times in all of Destiny and its related works that he has been addressed by this name. Both occured in Shur'tugalar: the first usage in anger, when an incensed Niom cut his son off with, "I don't want to hear it, Nathaniel!"; and the second usage in mockery, when the RoA are putting on airs as they believe Islanzadí would, leading Niaomi to call him "Nathaniel Könungru". While a capable leader, Niaomi is one who most often takes the reigns, sometimes leading to jealousy and a sense of inferiority on Nathan's part. This became especially apparent during the Reminiscence Arc, where Nathan reveals how envious he is of Niaomi's destiny as both a seer and a Rider. However, becoming a Rider himself seems to have helped him move past it, as well as his refusal to allow jealousy to sever the strong bond between the two. On Niaomi's part, she works to make her brother feel accomplished and indeed feels that she is closest to him. Often, Nathan takes the task of alleviating tension upon himself (when he is not part of its cause), making jokes and teasing the other RoA, especially Nicholas. Though he and his brother fight often, the two are very close, as illustrated by how they occasionally speak in synchronization or finish each other's thought. While Nicholas is the more intellectual of the two, Nathan is more physically skilled. Interestingly enough, they seem to come out even when roughhousing for the most part. His role as the "jokester" of the group can sometimes give him an impression of being dimwitted, especially when his siblings usurp the roles of leader and problem-solver. But when given the chance, he proves to be just as smart as them, as seen in Niaomi when the RoA are being pursued by the Dragon Wing. Indeed, being both a natural born swordsman and a powerful Rider, Nathan is one of the most highly capable persons in Alagaësia. As the Champion, he works to help Eragon and the other Riders rid the Empire of its king once and for all. __TOC__ Appearance Nathan is a handsome young man with a lean yet well built stature. He stated by Eragon to be "almost identical to Niaomi" - sharing her height - but with more masculine features. His eyes are the same deep brown shade as Nasuada's, but unlike hers are slanted, as befits his elvish heritage along with his pointed ears. His hair is curly and shoulder-length (unlike in the cast portrait in the case of the latter), and he usually wears it loose. In his first appearance, Nathan is sporting the golden ring gifted to him by Tristan and the topaz belt crafted by Beloth.